


Wavelength

by captainofthefallen



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: F/M, just a little thing i wrote, prompted by duolingo believe it or not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 15:51:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11854797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainofthefallen/pseuds/captainofthefallen
Summary: I was doing my daily duolingo and it gave me the sentence "You don't have to go" and I had a feel. Set shortly after the conclusion of Edér's personal quest.





	Wavelength

"You don't have to go."

It's quiet, so he almost doesn't hear, but part of him almost thinks that he's become extra sensitive to the sound of her voice. 

He's facing away from the fire, thinking. Just thinking. Thinking far too much about what he's lost, what he's gained, with part of him wondering if the scales balance out. 

Another part of him knows it's stupid. You can't measure good things like that, even if he was better with numbers. 

And if he's being honest, just having her with him is almost enough to make up for everything he's ever lost. 

He's spent too long in thought, so she plows on, oblivious to his internal struggle thanks to the fact that his back is to her. "I--I mean, I just--" She lets out a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry," she says. "I know I couldn't get what you wanted, and I'm sorry, but we... I... have come to rely on you. A-and I don't want you to feel like you have to stay, if you don't want to, but..." She trails off, more unsure than he's ever heard her. 

He frowns to himself but still doesn't turn. "What makes you think I'm leavin'?"

He hears the tiniest intake of breath. "I-I just..." She seems almost at a loss. "You've been off brooding on your own since Cliaban Rilag, and I was just..."

"Worried I'd up and leave in the middle of the night?" He turns to face her with his usual half grin, which fades instantly the moment he sees her face. She's worrying at her lower lip with her teeth, so much so he's worried it'll be bloody before too long, and her eyes are darting around nervously, flickering to him and away just as quickly, not stopping to focus on any one thing. 

A pang of concern pushes aside all his reflections, and he gets to his feet, stepping close to her. "Hey," he says quietly. "'S not my style. I'm here, with you, long as you want me." 

He means it. Already he knows without a doubt that he'd die for her. Some days he thinks he might even do worse. 

Her eyes flicker back to his and stay there, wide and nervous, like she's unable to look away. "You mean that?" 

He squeezes her shoulder. "What's this really about, Nineteen?" It's a reasonable enough question, but she blinks rapidly and looks away from him again. 

"Nothing," she deflects quickly. Then, sensing his gently disbelieving gaze, she adds, "Just... people leave. They always leave. Just wanted to be prepared for when it was you." 

His heart wrenches at the vulnerable look on her face. Part of him wants to just hold her and never let go, while another part irrationally wants to track down whoever it was that put that look on her face and give them a piece of his mind. 

Fortunately for both of them, his rational side wins out and he just squeezes her shoulder again, bringing his other hand to cup her jaw, lifting her face to look at him. "I'm here," he repeats. "Long as you want me. Understand?" 

She squeezes her eyes shut as she nods, but not before he catches the faint glimmer of tears within them. 

Fuck it. Sometimes you just gotta obey your impulses, and his impulses are telling him she needs a hug. So he lets go of her shoulder to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close, burying his face in her hair. 

It takes a moment for her to respond, almost like she's surprised. Is she surprised he cares about her? She must be, if she thought he'd just leave like that. 

The thought hurts more than he cares to admit. 

"I'm right here," he reminds them both. "I'm not going anywhere."


End file.
